Ombudsman specifies number of Ukrainian prisoners held in occupied Olenivka
Currently, 150 citizens of Ukraine, including both civilians and military, are being held in the prison camp in the occupied Olenivka, Donetsk Oblast.
Source: Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Quote: "We are not allowed there again. Apparently, we will get access to Olenivka only after our Armed Forces liberate Olenivka.
According to our information, 150 Ukrainian citizens remain there at the moment. They are not only the military."
Details: Ombudsman also said that Ukrainian prisoners may be pressured to refuse to return to Ukraine.
Quote: "We are often given information that one or another citizen of Ukraine does not want to return. We are now working out a way to verify this in person.
As one of the options, when I am personally present and citizens of Ukraine inform me that they refuse to exchange. I consider everything else as possible pressure on our citizens so that they do not return.
I was personally present during one of the exchanges. Six women initially refused to return to Ukraine. I said that I would believe it only when they told me personally. My communication was organised right there. Four of six women returned to Ukraine after communicating with me. In fact, somewhere they simply apply psychological pressure, [and resort to] manipulation somewhere else."
Background:
On 29 July, Russian-aligned propaganda media announced the shelling of a penal colony in Olenivka, Donetsk Oblast, where Ukrainian prisoners were being held. Propagandists claimed that there were at least 53 dead. The General Staff of Ukraine denied the accusations of the Russian Federation that the attack was carried out by Ukraine’s Armed Forces. According to the General Staff, the Russians tried to cover up the torture and murders of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
The Defence Intelligence believes that the killing of Ukrainian prisoners in Olenivka, Donetsk Oblast, was organised by the Wagner Group [a Russian private military company] on the personal instructions by Yevgeny Prigozhin, without coordination with the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defence.
In early September, the UN stated that Russia did not provide access to Ukrainian prisoners of war, and at the beginning of October, the UN stated that their mission could not go to the territory of the detention centre in Olenivka due to the lack of security guarantees.
On 13 October, the Office of the President of Ukraine made an "absolute demand" to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to send a mission within three days to the prison camp in the occupied Olenivka, where Ukrainian prisoners were held. The Red Cross stated in response that it could not "force its way" to Ukrainian prisoners of war illegally held by the Russian Federation, and did not have any access to them.
Last week, the International Committee of the Red Cross visited Russian-held Ukrainian prisoners of war.
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